A division of Circle Strings in Burlington, Vermont, Iris Guitar Company is a small team of highly-skilled and seasoned luthiers who are dedicated to building a modern instrument that captures vintage-inspired tone and aesthetics. Iris guitars are handmade using a combination of state of the art techniques and old-world craftsmanship.
The OG Model is where it all began! It's a smallish body with slope shoulders and a relatively wide waist. It has a comfortable 25” scale and an equally comfy C-shape neck. According to the 2019 review in Acoustic Guitar Magazine: ”Overall, it has a warm and dry voice, with an impressive midrange response. It takes equally well to being strummed with a pick or fingerpicked, in standard or open tunings, and it has a generous amount of headroom and projection.”
This OG (#187) features a full-body Sunburst finish, a Firestripe pickguard, and Eastern Flame Maple back and sides. The catalog OG specs call for a 1-11/16" nut, but this one has a prewar-appropriate 1-3/4" nut width. The Maple gives it a very prominent, defined midrange. This OG is a superlative blues guitar with excellent warmth and note separation for fingerpicking. Nevertheless, it has a certain versatility and range you'll never find from a Depression-era guitar. This guitar would work well in a lot of different applications.
This Iris OG was made in 2021, and it is gently used. It shows some signs of play and use, especially the bass side of the top where the finish has been worn and polished. Also, the bass side of the bridge shows some wear from the previous owner resting their hand on it. Along the edges of the headstock, there is also some string winder rash, and there's one noticeable pick scratch on the bass side of the sound hole.
This 2021 Iris OG has a comfortable, approachable setup, and the frets are pristine. The original owner installed a relic nickel strap button on the heel. It includes its original hardshell case.